Download - Lux Immo Magazine - Sacha Newley
XX XXxx
Biographie
expositions personnellesdescriptif___expositions collectives descriptif
20/www.luxe-immo.com20/www.luxe-immo.com
Sacha NewleyCitingthepainterpoets,RossettiandBlakeasformativeinfluences,SachaNewleydefineshismissionas“radicalclassicism,”tocombinethequalitiesofclassicaltechniquetocontemporarysubjectmatter.Theresulthasmadehisworkavisualdiaryofsomeofthelate20thcentury’smostimportantculturalicons
What has been your journey to becoming an artist?
Severalfactorshavecombinedtogetherwithtiming,butmyinterestinartfirstmanifested itself at an early age. I attendedKingAlfred’sSchool in theUKwhichemphasizedandencouragedcreativity inchildrenandwhenIwassixtoeightyearsoldIhadagreattimeimmersingmyselfinmakingpapier mâchéandsensingthejoyofmakingart.IthenforgotaboutituntilIwasinmyteenswhenIbegantodrawalotandIfocusedonself-portraits.MyartessentiallybeganasdoodlesandIwasalwaysfascinatedbythefacesofoldmenandthesenseof lightandshadow in their faces.DoingaHistoryofArt ‘A’ levelwas a further stepping stone asmy teacher encouraged intensive practicalsessionsand I realized Ihadanaturalgraspofwhatpainterswere thinkingof their subjectmatter.When Iwas 18 I gave up painting, though, in favorofwritingalong,autobiographicalpoem.Itwasduringamomentof intensewriter’sblockthatIfoundmywaybacktopainting.Iboughtsomepaintsandstarteddrawingagain. Itwasan ‘OpenSesame’moment fromwhich Ihaveneverlookedback.
You quickly became known for your portraits.
Yes,myfirstportraitwasofMadeleineCurtisandIdiditinahighlyphotorealiststyle–painstakinglypaintingeveryfollicleofherhair.Ittookmefivemonthstocompleteand from thereothercommissionsarose. Iwas thrilled tobeajobbingportraitistattheageof20.
Lyme Regis was where you were based at that time?
Yes.Ilivedinavirtualivorytoweroverlookingthesea,anditfeltattimesasifIwasfloatinginthesky;myapartmentwasquitehighup.Iwasavirtualrecluseatthistime,livinginsqualor,andmystudioallowedmetogetlostasanartist.Imadealotofbadartatthistime,butIfirmlybelievethatcreativefailuresareimportantastheyallowyoutofindyourway.It’sforthisreasonthatIamsointerested inshadowsandwhy I’vealwaysbeenfascinatedbytheworksofEdwardMunch,Schieleand theGermanexpressionists.Weareallnaturallydrawntodisasterandseducedbythemonstrous.WhenIwasinLymeRegisIconfrontedmanyofmyowndemonsandit’swhyinlaterlifeIwassodrawntoothermenwhohadfacedthemtoo.
Your body of work is certainly impressive – you have been privileged to paint many legendary “men of genius”.
Iseemtogravitatetowardsmenwhofeelwrongedbysocietyorhavebeenshakingtheirfistattheestablishment.OneofmyfirstportraitswasofBillyWil-derwhichwasextraordinary.Ihadtakenabreakfrompaintinginmyearly20sasIwantedtobecomeadirectorandinfactattendedfilmschool.Ofcourse,IhadtomovetoLosAngelesandwhilstIstillkeptasmallstudiothere,Ialsobeganwriting scripts.With no income coming in, I decided to get back topaintingandcalledmymother,JoanCollins,togetBillyWilder’snumber.IwassurprisedwhenheansweredthephonehimselfandevenmoresurprisedwhenIturneduptomeetthisgreatdirector.Hewasverystooped,andshowedmeintoadarkroomwithahighwindowbehindadesk.Therewasnolightonthecanvas:itwasallonhim,whichmadetheinitialportraitdifficult.Imethimthreetimesandworkedinsilenceformostofit.Astheysay,thetrulygreatonesarealways themosthumbleand Iwas impressedbyhisquietude.When I tookbackthefinishedpaintingIwasmetwithtotalsilence.Hiswifelatercalledmetosayhelovedthepainting;hejustdidn’tlikehimselfverymuch!
Born in New York City in 1965, Sacha Newley firstbegantopaintseriouslyattheageof18.HesoonrosetoprominencewithhisportraitSir Nigel Hawthorne in Character as King George III(1993)whichwaschosenby the English National Theatre as the promotionalimage for its touring production of The Madness of George III.Newleywentontopaintasecond,full-lengthdepiction of Hawthorne in character, which is now inthe permanent collection of The Victoria and AlbertMuseum.AnotherhonourwasbestoweduponNewleyin2004whenhistripleportraitofChristopherReevewasacquiredbyTheNationalPortraitGalleryinWashingtonDC at the Smithsonian. In 2007, Newley produceda contemporary, living portrait of America’s greatestcitizen andpresident,AbrahamLincoln. Thepaintingis considered the jewel in the crown of the illustriousLincolnHeritageMuseumcollection inLincoln, Illinois.NewleyiscurrentlyatworkonpaintingsforthemovieEffie–starringEmmaThompsonandSirDerekJacobi,which celebrates the relationship between two greatfigures of thepre-Raphaelitemovement, JohnEverettMillaisandJohnRuskin.Newleyis,withoutquestion,thefinestandmostsought-afterportraitistatworktoday.
www.sachanewley.com
Selected Solo eXhibitioNS2012July12-29–“AllorNothing”,TheTempGallery,Sacramento,USA2010–1-manretrospective:“PRISMTheManyFacetsofSachaNewley”,LAARTHOUSE,LosAngeles,USA2010–1-manretrospective:“FACEVALUEThePortraitsofSachaNewley”,PacificDesignCenter,LosAngeles,USA2008–“BlessedCurse”,CattoGallery,TheArtsClub,London,UK2006–“Portraits”,WallyFindlayGalleries,PalmBeach,USA2001–“FromtheHamptonstoHarlem”newworkbySachaNewley,CattoGallery,London,UK2000–SachaNewley“SaintGeorgeandTheDragon”,GreyMcGearModernGallery,BergamotStation,LosAngeles,USA
XX
luxe immo
aRtS- deSiGN
titre, annéedescriptif
dimensions
www.luxe-immo.com/21www.luxe-immo.com/21
Sacha Newley
luxe immo
aRtS- deSiGN
Christopher Reeve, 2004, oil on linen, 44 x 68”, permanent collection National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian
luxe immo / aRtS-deSiGN /
xx
22/www.luxe-immo.com22/www.luxe-immo.com
Gore Vidal, Oliver Stone and Dominick Dunne were all next. What were they like to paint?
OliverStonewasveryuncomfortable,whichisironicgivenhismé-tierasadirector–hedidn’tliketobescrutinizedandittookawhileforhimtogetusedtotheprocess.IntheendIdidthreepaintingsforhim–oneofwhichhegavetohismotherandhekepttheothertwo.Hewasalsoquitevain!
WhenImetDominickDunne,whowasagoodfriendofmymotherand father’s, he had just finished covering the OJ Simpson trialforVanity Fairandwasincrediblybusy.Everyonewantedtomeetor interviewhimandbecauseofhis forthrightbelief inOJ’sguilt,hesufferedabacklashofpublicopinionandevenreceiveddeaththreats.WhenImethimhewasstayinginChateauMarmontandlivedinoneoftheircornersuites.Theonlyspacewehadwasinthekitchenetteareawithatablesetuponlinoleum.HehardlyhadtimetolookupashewaswritinguphisnotesandIrealizedthatthatwasthepainting.Theintensityofhisfeelingsandcommitmenttohisjobwasveryapparent.Heboughtthefinishedpaintingim-mediatelyIhadcompletedit.
Your portrait of Christopher Reeve is also emotionally charged, isn’t it?
IonlyhadanafternoontomeetChristopherashehadbeenextremelyillandwasrecoveringfromaninfection.LittledidIknowhewouldbe dead in less than six weeks after our meeting. I went up tomeet him in Bedford, NewYork andwasmet by hiswife Dana.Hecametowardsmeinhiswheelchairandwasdressedheadtotoeinblackwhichmadeaprofoundimpressionuponme.Iturnedandphotographedhim fromeverydirectionandduring that timehiswickedsenseofhumourwasapparent. In theend, I realizedthatthepaintingcametobeallaboutthewheelchair,andhowthis‘superman’wasreducedbutnotoverpoweredbyit.IdidaseriesofthreepaintingsandoneofthemisnowintheSmithsonianInstituteintheir20thcenturygallery,ofwhichIamveryproud.
In many ways you have been a visual diarist of some of Hollywood’s greatest stars?
Ididn’tplanthatconsciouslybutyou’rerightandbycoincidenceIhadmyfirstexhibitionintheiconic,storiedhotelChateauMarmont(whereJohnBelushidiedandwhichhasbeenthesceneofmanyofHollywood’sfamedparties).I’llneverforgetthatopeningnight.
MymotherhadorganizedforherPublicRelationsManager,JeffreyLane, to publicize the event and in the end 500 people came –amongstthemSharonStoneandmanyofthepressandfilmcrowd.However, itwas a real anticlimax afterwards and I realized thereandthenthatLAisnotatownforpaintings.Iturnedmybackonportraitureforawhileandwentintoabstractartwhichhadmuchtodowithmeacquiringahuge,whitecubeofastudioinVenice,California.
What did you learn from abstract art?
Ifounditveryliberating.Havingtorelyonformandcolortoexpressyourselfisachallenge,butIlearnedsomuchabouttexture,paint,differentmediumsandIlovedit.Ifeltveryinspired.ItwasafterthisthatIpaintedmyfather,AnthonyNewley,asScrooge.Itturnedouttobeamonumentalworkandwasthegatewaytofurtherfigurativework.
How supportive have your parents been of your creative career?
Theywerebothenormouslysupportiveandnevergotintheway–evenwhenIwantedtogoofftheradarforindefiniteperiods.Ihavetoadmit thatmymotherhookedmeupwithmanyofher friends(amongstthemSirNigelHawthorne)andthiswasmyentrée intoHollywood. Iguess I took thatadvantagea little forgranted,butsincethenIhavemademyownway.
Who are your heroes in terms of other portrait artists?
Chronologically I love Holbein, Memling, the early RenaissanceartistsandRembrandt’sself-portraits.Velasquez,VanDyck,Munch,Beckman,SchieleandtheExpressionistsasIhavesaidallplayedasignificantpartinmyformativeexperience.However,JohnSingerSargent’sfacilitywithportraitsmakeshiminmyopinionthegreatestbrushmanandisinaleagueofhisownandI’verecentlyreturnedfromFlorencewhereIwasfortunatetotakeinanexhibitiondedica-tedtohim.
Your style has developed from the early portraits though?
Inmyearlywork,IreliedheavilyonphotographsanditwasonlylaterthatIstartedtoworkfromlife.IrealizedthatIwastranslatingfromonelanguageintoanother,byturningaphotographintoanartwork.Theactofpaintinginitselfisrevelatory;andIamconsciousinmyportraitpaintingsthattheyarethreedimensional.
Dominick Dunne, 1996, oil on linen, 24 x 36” Billy Wilder, 1998, oil on canvas, 20 x 26” Gore Vidal, 1994, oil on canvas, 36 x 54”, permanent collection National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian
luxe immo / aRtS-deSiGN /
titre, annéedescriptif
dimensions
www.luxe-immo.com/23www.luxe-immo.com/23
luxe immo / aRtS-deSiGN / Sacha Newley
What medium do you like best?
Iloveexperimentingandhaveworkedinpastels,acrylic,oilsandwithpaintsticks.I’mnotreallyintoetchingbutIdolovetoexpe-riment–I’vetriedpaintingwithahairdryer,usingittoblowaroundwaterypigmentonpaper.While thediversityofmediumsseemsscattered, I think in the long term thisexperimentationwillmakesense.Ioftenseethisinotherartist’sretrospectives.
What are you currently working on?
WellI’vejustfinishedmyfirstbook–calledUnaccompanied Minor andit’sbeenahugeprojectwhichhastakenmealmostthreeyearstocomplete.It’sautobiographicalandfeaturessomeofmypaintingsalso. I feel that I’ve turned fullcircle inaway. IbecameapainterbecauseIhadwriter’sblockandnowmywritingdeskisasimpor-tantasmyeasel;that’swhyIhavealwaysheldthe‘painterpoets’RossettiandBlakeinhighesteem.
Penny McCormick
Scrooge 1, 1999, pastel on paper, 16 x 20” Anthony Newley as Ebenezer Scrooge, 1998, pastel on paper, 14 x 20”
Oliver Stone, 1998, oil on canvas, 24 x 24